Toxic Beauty: Know Your ProductsBy Aimee Raupp, LAc Back in 2009, after the publishing of my first book, I decided that I needed to really take a look at all the beauty and body products I was using in my daily life. As through my research for my first book, I learned that there are way too many environmental toxins out there that a doing a great deal of harm to our health. If I'm preaching to patients to eat organic or to avoid sugar or to meditate daily, shouldn't I also be warning them against the parabens in their shampoo and the BPA in their water bottles? Of course I should be. As my own personal research expanded, I started to realize how many endocrine disrupting toxins are EVERYWHERE, and as a practitioner who deals with a lot of gynecological disorders, my goal is to regulate the endocrine system – not negatively disrupt it! And, so my journey into the land of paraben-free, sulfate-free beauty products began. It unfortunately wasn't a super-long journey, as there are not a ton of products to choose from. Even ones claiming to be "natural" are loaded with toxins. And, some of the brands I chose to use in 2009 changed their ingredient lists by 2010 and added some chemicals that should be avoided. Now I wasn't even trusting the companies I thought I could trust, let alone feeling confident to recommend them to my patients. It was then that I made a commitment to going on a body and beauty product regimen that was not only chemical free, but made up of things I could actually eat (if I wanted to!) without adverse effects. I started using organic cold pressed coconut oil on my skin; a tooth powder made of sea salt and peppermint for toothpaste; arrow root, coconut oil and essential oils for deodorant (it works amazingly well! (www.passionatehomemaking.com/2013/01/homemade-all-natural-deodorant.html) and a mixture of ghee, coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin E oil for my face cream. All of that trial and error led me down a different path—and I am now making my own homemade organic beauty products. I am extremely transparent about the ingredients and that I make the products at home. The fact is, so many of us are too busy to go through and find products with basic, non-toxic ingredients that actually work, are chemical free and leave us feeling beautiful. I hope my products can fill this void. I'm not here to push my products on you or your practice, but I am here to say that as healthcare practitioners, we really need to take the time to read ingredients and really fish through our beauty products to see which ones are worthy of going onto (and into!) our beautiful precious bodies (and that of your patients). One of my favorite links to share with patients is Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep Cosmetic Database (www.ewg.org/skindeep/). Here patients can check the toxic load of their beauty products. As well, I give patients the following list of the MUST avoid ingredients. We are all working hard to ensure optimal health, balance and well-being for our patients – and directing patients to choose less toxic beauty products will help us reach that goal faster. Please take note and advise your patients to avoid the following:
Now you can see why I just started making my own products. I got to the point where I was wary of most commercial products out there. Even the good organic products use chemical preservatives to give their products a longer shelf life. There are definitely a lot of products out there that we can use and feel good about it, but just because something says "all natural" or "organic" doesn't always mean its free of toxic chemicals. Add "read all labels of body care products in the house" to your to do list for this week! And then, after you complete that task—take it to the office and encourage all of your patients to do the same. Licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and book author Aimee Raupp is a women's health and fertility expert. Her growing practice focuses on improving health and beauty, preventing disease and increasing fertility among women whose health and wellness are challenged by the demands, stressors and imbalances of Western culture. Find her on Facebook and at www.AimeeRaupp.com. |